белег

Bulgarian

Etymology

Continues Proto-Slavic *bělěgъ, ultimately of Oghur origin, from Proto-Turkic *bel- (“to denote”). Apparently, the Bulgarian term was reanalyzed to fit the Slavic morphology as if from Proto-Slavic *bělъ (“white”) + -ег (-eg). Cognate with Hungarian bélyeg (“post mark”), Chuvash палӑк (palăk, “sign, symbol”), Kazakh белгі (belgı, “mark, sign”). Akin to the nickname Бѣлгоунъ (Bělgunŭ) of tzar Ivan Asen I, one of the founders of the Second Bulgarian Tzardom.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɛlɛk]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

бе́лег • (béleg) m

1. scar

   (by extension) → mark

2. sign, symbol

Declension

Declension of бе́лег

	singular	plural
indefinite	бе́лег béleg	бе́лези, бе́леги1, бе́леци1 bélezi, bélegi1, béleci1
definite (subject form)	бе́легът bélegǎt	бе́лезите, бе́легите1, бе́леците1 bélezite, bélegite1, bélecite1
definite (object form)	бе́лега bélega
count form	—	бе́лега bélega

¹Archaic.

Derived terms

• бележа (beleža, “to note, to remark”)
• белязан (beljazan, “marked”)
• бележка (beležka, “note”)
• белчуг (belčug, “ring, handcuff”)

References

• “белег”, in Речник на българския език [Dictionary of the Bulgarian Language] (in Bulgarian), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2014
• Georgiev, Vladimir I., editor (1971), “бѐлег”, in Български етимологичен речник [Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary] (in Bulgarian), volume 1 (А – З), Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Pubg. House, →ISBN, page 41

Macedonian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bělěgъ, ultimately of Oghur origin, from Proto-Turkic *bel- (“to denote”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɛlɛk]

Noun

белег • (beleg) m

1. mark

Declension

Declension of белег

	singular	plural
indefinite	белег (beleg)	белези (belezi)
definite unspecified	белегот (belegot)	белезите (belezite)
definite proximal	белегов (belegov)	белезиве (belezive)
definite distal	белегон (belegon)	белезине (belezine)
vocative	белегу (belegu)	белези (belezi)
count form	—	белега (belega)

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

• бѝљег (Ijekavian)
• бјѐлег, бјѐљег (regional Ijekavian)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bělěgъ, from a Turkic language.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /běleɡ/
• Hyphenation: бе‧лег

Noun

бѐлег m (Latin spelling bèleg)

1. mark, marker

   туморски белег ― tumor marker

   молекуларни белег ― molecular marker

2. feature, trait, characteristic
3. birthmark
4. (Croatia) tax stamp, stamp (for applications and administrative expenses, not for postal services)

   свака фирма има свој лого и белег. ― Each company has its own logo and a stamp.

5. sign, signal, symptom

Declension

Declension of белег

	singular	plural
nominative	бѐлег	белези
genitive	бѐлега	белега
dative	белегу	белезима
accusative	белег	белеге
vocative	бележе	белези
locative	белегу	белезима
instrumental	белегом	белезима

References

• “белег”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2024
• Skok, Petar (1971) “белег”, in Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika [Etymological Dictionary of the Croatian or Serbian Language] (in Serbo-Croatian), volumes 1 (A – J), Zagreb: JAZU, page 150
• “белег”, in Речник српскохрватскога књижевног језика (in Serbo-Croatian), Друго фототипско издање edition, volume 1, Нови Сад, Загреб: Матица српска, Матица хрватска, 1967–1976, published 1990, page 171